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Solved: win xp mce clean install questions

630 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  UltimaDestroyer 
#1 ·
i want to do a clean install on my pc so i can be free of all the crappy programs and registry errors that ive accumulated over the years. ive transferred all the files i want to keep like my movies, audio, and such. i have the 2 cds to install windows. ive heard xp doesnt recognize sata drives. all i have is a 250gb sata drive. if i format the drive to install xp on it, will windows no read the hdd or somehting along those lines? doi have to get drivers for the sata drive or what?
also my hdd has 2 partitions the system one, and a 8gb recovery one that came in it. i dont want to format teh recovery one just in case i ever need it. will formatting the system one format both?
also, any other steps i need to take to make sure i can clean install xp appropriately?
thanks all.
 
#2 ·
I hit the f11 key during the first part of my boot up and it takes me to the recovery process and no it doesn't format the recovery partition.
If you do it from the recovery partition you most likely won't need to load the sata drivers but make sure you have them on a disc just in case other wise you will not be able to go forward if it requires them.
read your manual and see what the steps are for doing a recovery that is always the best place to start.
 
#3 ·
Welcome to TSG!

If PC shipped with a SATA drive, and the CDs are the OS Re-installation disks from the PC maker, they should already have the SATA drivers slipstreamed in. No guarantees though

Quickest way to test is to boot from the CD, tell it you want to install, accept the EULA, and see if it displays the partitions. If it does, you are good to go, just delete the C: partition; it should show that there is a Windows installation there already.
For a true clean start delete the partition, then create and format a new one. Just don't delete the 8GB recovery partition; that way you can always use the System Recovery to restore it to Factory condition (including all the trial/bloatware)

If the CD says there are no hard drives, then you will need to download the SATA drivers from the PC manufacturer and provide them on a floppy during the CD boot (press F6 when prompted), or if there is no floppy, slipstream them into a new CD. The 1st CD is the XP CD, the 2nd CD has the extra Media Center components

Best to grab ALL the drivers for the system and put them on a CD; if the disk doesn't have the SATA drivers, it likely doesn't have the chipset, LAN, Modem, Audio, or video drivers either. Even if it does have the SATA drivers, it may not have the rest of the drivers included.

HTH

Jerry
 
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